


A Sweet Dream

by plikki



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Marichat, post-Weredad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-06-28 02:38:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19802998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plikki/pseuds/plikki
Summary: When you're in denial even your dreams conspire to make you snap out of it. Marinette is in for quite a surprise.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just an idea I've had for some time now and finally decided to write down. It's also my first fic. I hope you like it!

Marinette looked into the familiar green eyes and wondered what felt wrong about the moment. Was it the way he was looking at her, all unbridled desire and glowing fire? No, she was pretty used to seeing that look in his eyes. He had been working hard to contain it, to give her the space she demanded from him, but sometimes it still reared its head, maybe when he was not careful enough or even without him knowing that it was there. Well, she didn’t mind it that much anymore, not like it had been at the beginning. But while at first it had annoyed her and made her feel uncomfortable, being the object of his desire, mainly because she thought it was all a joke to him, now her reaction was a lot more confusing - it left her lightheaded and strangely weak in the knees. Still, it was nothing new. 

He also looked like his normal self, nothing out of place. The piercing green eyes were accentuated by his mask, which also made them look cat-like. She hasn’t seen them without the mask but she was sure that this only added to their mischievous look. His pointy ears were sticking out of his tousled blond hair, being all cute but at the same time helping double the mischief. As she was busy taking stock, Marinette wondered why everything about him seemed to conspire to make him look all the more naughty. His posture was relaxed, he was looking totally at home in the skintight black suit. And damn, it suited him. He was absolutely aware of this fact, if the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips was anything to go by. All in all, a normal look on him. This was Chat Noir, her Chat Noir. 

But still something about the situation felt if not wrong, then strange. Marinette felt safe, she always felt safe when she was with him. She knew with absolute certainty that she could trust him with her life, both as Ladybug and as Marinette. He had proved time and again that he would do everything to protect her and keep her safe. While this was partially explained by the fact that it was his duty as her partner to do so, his love for her made his resolve to perform this duty at all costs even stronger. However, when she was Marinette she kind of felt the same way, which was strange since he didn’t know her identity, so neither his duty nor his love for Ladybug played a part in the way he acted around her. Was it just his desire to be a knight in shining armour that made him like this with her? She didn’t know, but she felt it. 

So, he looked the way he normally looked. And he looked at her in a way he very rarely did nowadays, but it was still something she was familiar with. This normally didn’t make her feel so out of sorts that she would pinpoint it as the reason for her discomfort. What else?

“Marinette” she heard him say softly as he took a step towards her. 

Oh. There it was. He was looking at her in the same way, but she was not Ladybug. She was herself. And it made no sense for him to look at her with desire, his intent gaze revealing more than he suspected what he wanted to do. 

Marinette felt strange tingles down her spine as his gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips. She held her breath as a leather-clad hand gently caressed her cheek while he moved so close that she had to tilt her head up. Well, the fact that she did so was a clear invitation. If she had wanted to say no she could have looked down and pretended she couldn’t read him. Suddenly a need so strong engulfed her that it threatened to knock her off her feet. Her arms shot up and wrapped around him in an attempt to balance her and she ended up pulling him even closer. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and barely a second later felt his lips lightly brush hers. It was a tentative move, designed to gauge her reaction, which was so violent that it surprised both of them. She gasped from the onslaught of emotion that such a light touch could evoke in her. His lips closed around hers and she was lost. Her world was reduced to warmth and sweetness. Such unexpected sweetness that she couldn’t believe it was real. 

It wasn’t.

Marinette woke up gulping for air. She opened her eyes and saw the sun shining through her window. It had been a dream, just a dream. But it had been so vivid! She licked her lips and could practically taste the sweetness lingering there. So sweet and so unreal. Because that’s what it was kissing Chat. Just a dream. 

Slowly her breathing eased but still there was a storm of thoughts in her mind. She was terribly confused but amid the chaos there was some certainty. She knew for a fact that she was disappointed. She wanted the dream to be real. This was when realisation hit - she was in deep trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has this happened to you - dreaming of someone you don't think ( or know) you are attracted to? And then you wake up and the way you see this person is forever changed. And what's worse - you have to then face this person and act normally. Talk about a wake-up call (hehe).


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is surprisingly logical in her conclusions, who knew she had it in her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I initially thought this would be quite short, but once I started writing it somehow got out of hand. The characters are writing themselves, would you believe it? It's mostly dialogue, I think they have too much to say and I'm letting them. I hope you enjoy it!

“I kissed Chat” Marinette whispered to the room at large. 

Unsurprisingly, Tikki heard her and floated into her line of vision. 

“You did, Marinette. We’ve talked about this. You did it to save him from the impact of the akuma,” she said calmly.

In spite of her confused emotions, Marinette appreciated the funny aspect. 

“No, Tikki. I didn’t mean the fight against Dark Cupid. I meant in my dream, just now.”

“Oh, that’s interesting”

“I also did it as myself, not as Ladybug.” 

“Hm, I think I see why you’re confused but think about it. In view of the recent developments in your relationship, it’s only normal for you to feel like this”, Tikki said. “I mean the whole pretending to be in love with him and then being heartbroken by his rejection fiasco, if you’re wondering.”

“Yes, Tikki, I got that, thanks,” Marinette laughed mirthlessly. This was true. She was still deeply affected by what had happened with Chat not too long ago. She had thought it had all been a huge misunderstanding and had tried to laugh it off, but she still felt unsettled by it. She had lied to him, had put him in a very embarrassing situation with her parents, had caused her father to get akumatised and all for nothing. He hadn’t been close to figuring out her identity as she had feared. She had just overreacted as usual and in her panic did a stupid thing. She still felt horrible about lying to him. Especially after she had seen how hard it had been for him to reject her (in front of her parents, no less!) and how worried about her he had been because of the akuma. He had fought so hard to save her, he had been near collapse when she had finally managed to free the akuma… because of her. 

“Marinette?”

She realised she had totally forgotten about her conversation with Tikki as she recalled the unfortunate events. 

“You seem lost in thought, with a half smile, half grimace on your face,” Tikki said. 

“Oh, Tikki, I was horrible to him, wasn’t I?” Marinette said, burying her face in her hands. “I was so quick to judge him, thinking he was disloyal to his feelings for Ladybug (while I had no right to demand his loyalty in the first place!), expecting him to declare his love for me only because of my confession! And then I pretended my heart was broken! And all the while he was so honest, so gentle with me. I didn’t deserve his sympathy or worry. I totally didn’t deserve to have him fight so hard for me.” 

“Well, I told you what you did wasn’t right. Lying never leads to anything good. But… I think you learned from your mistake. You also tried to make things right at the end. You told him it was okay for him to love Ladybug and you said you wanted to remain friends with him. He was relieved that he hadn’t hurt you too much. He hugged you!” Tikki said with a smile. 

“Yes, I know. He was so kind. Oh, Tikki, I think I’d never really appreciated what a wonderful partner I have. I feel so guilty about putting him through that. Did you see how he tried to act like his normal self? That comment about how he could marry himself, that was too much! But I think I’d never before seen him so nervous too? Overall, he was so good about it all. And I’m just some random girl to him,” Marinette mumbled, but again Tikki heard her all too well. 

“I don’t think you’re just a random girl for him, Marinette. You have worked together before, remember, and he also sought your company and advice this one time. He trusted you with his feelings for Ladybug. He wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t seen you as a reliable and kind person. And he showed how much he cares about you when he was fighting to save you and when he was so sad about having to hurt your feelings. Having this in mind, I think it’s normal for you to feel different about him now,” Tikki concluded thoughtfully. 

“I really have no idea how I feel right now, Tikki. But if that dream was my subconsciousness trying to tell me something, I think it’s pretty clear what it is. I may have acted as if I was totally unaffected by his rejection of my “love” for him, but maybe I secretly wanted to see him moved by my confession, in a way that would make him look at me the way he looks at Ladybug. Silly me, right? I’ve spent so long rebuffing his advances and still here I am thinking this.”

“So, what you mean is that you really want to kiss him?” Tikki said incredulously. 

“I wouldn’t go as far as to admit this, but… maybe I’m not as opposed to the idea as I used to be. And maybe I’m a bit mad at myself for not paying enough attention to that kiss, the one that really happened, you know. It was my first kiss, after all, and I was kind of annoyed that I had to waste it on him. But it worked, that’s the important thing, and it was… nice, as far as I can remember.” She had a very vague memory of soft lips and a hint of that sweetness that kept haunting her now. It had been a very tense moment, a life-or-death situation, not a romantic rendezvous between them. 

“Well, make sure to be more in the moment next time you kiss him,” Tikki teased. 

“Next time, Tikki? What?” Marinette almost shouted before she realised she had totally taken the bait. “That was a low blow. I don’t think there would be a next time.” She shrugged. 

“I think you’re taking this better than I’d expect.”

“Maybe you’re right. I think I knew deep down inside that something was changing but didn’t want to admit it to myself. This dream, however, was pretty self-explanatory and hard to contradict. So there is no point fighting this. But still I know for sure that I would find it really hard to look Chat in the eye the next time I see him.”

She really hoped that she would have enough time to collect her thoughts and feelings before that time came. It didn’t have to be too soon after all. But she was wrong. 

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the chapters are short but I just want to keep each scene in a separate one. I hope you enjoy it so far!

Of course, exactly when she least needed it, there would be an akuma attack. Now she was forced to swallow all the confusing emotions battling inside of her after the dream and face the person that haunted her thoughts. She had to pretend everything was normal. Nothing had happened after all. Only in her imagination. Or subconsciousness. She would put on her professional face and do what she had to do. She was a superhero after all. In addition to being a confused teenage girl, that is. 

The thoughts were running through her head as she was swinging from rooftop to rooftop on her way to the Eiffel Tower where the akuma had been spotted. She had hoped she would arrive first at the scene and have time to take in the situation before meeting her partner and losing what little concentration she had. She was obviously out of luck. Of course she was, this whole day was turning into one big bad dream. 

Chat Noir was already there, obviously doing damage control and recon while waiting for her. As she used her yo-yo to get closer to the akuma and see for herself what they were dealing with, she couldn’t help her eyes being drawn to the strapping young man. Oh God, here she was already losing it. Since when did she think of him in such terms? Okay, he was strong, and compared to her, he was big. But this had never before caught her attention. Eye. Whatever. How could a single dream change her perception of him so much? Or was it just because of the dream? Maybe what she now felt had been carefully buried deep inside her before. Denial, it was called. 

Thankfully, the akuma chose this precise moment to interrupt her musings and put an end to her internal struggles for now. She didn’t even have to think twice before turning on her battle mode on and focusing on the task at hand. There was no time for pleasantries. Without even a simple hello in Chat’s direction, she was on it.

It was an intense but short battle that left her short of breath and strangely annoyed. Seriously? Where was a competent, hard-to-get akuma when one needed it? Instead of having to think hard and come up with a plan and then go to great lengths to see it accomplished, she had needed just a minute to use her Lucky Charm and cleanse the akuma. No help from Hawkmoth today as well. He had sent her a Gorizilla when she could have used a Prime Queen. 

Of course, Chat had helped, not only by distracting the villain but also in helping her use her Lucky Charm. She didn’t have to say a word to him to make sure he was on the same page as her. That’s how much in sync they were nowadays. Only a glance and he knew what to do. He was the best. This made her think once again that her partner was really underappreciated. She had to work on that. 

The fact that they managed to wrap up the fight so fast was yet another golden star in their already long list of successful achievements. But it also meant that it wasn’t long before they were on a rooftop on their own, people already leaving the scene and getting back to their own lives. 

Ladybug had barely had time to take a deep calming breath when Chat fired off a concerned question in her direction.

“My lady, are you alright? You seem preoccupied with something.”

She was usually grateful for how perceptive he was of her moods. This meant that she didn’t have to waste time to tell him when to back off and hold back the flirting and jokes when she was feeling out of sorts. But right now he was too perceptive for his own good. 

“I-” she started saying but nothing else came out. How embarrassing. She couldn’t form a coherent sentence around him now. Just like with Adrien. Why did the blond guys in her life have this effect on her? Oh dear. It hit her so suddenly that she felt dizzy. Adrien. Marinette acted this way around him because she liked him too much. What did this mean about her confusing feelings towards Chat? No way this was happening now. 

She shook her head, trying to disperse the troubling thoughts. He was waiting for an answer. And looking into his eyes, she saw only concern. And kindness. He cared about her too much. Her indecisiveness had already sealed her fate. He wouldn’t let this drop so easily, not when it obviously affected her so much. 

“You can tell me, you know. I want to help you if I can,” he said so softly that she suddenly felt close to tears. He would understand, wouldn’t he? She trusted him with her life, so sharing her secret shouldn’t be so hard. 

“I’m sorry, kitty. No need to worry. It’s nothing serious. Just a dream.” A dream that left her so unsettled that she couldn’t think clearly around him. Yes, just a dream. 

His eyes widened and she could practically see the thoughts running through his head. Ladybug was known for her stoicisim. She would appear calm and unperturbed no matter what. She only lost her cool in dire circumstances. And now Ladybug was clearly shaken to the core because of a simple dream. No wonder he found it hard to believe. 

“A dream?” he asked incredulously. Suddenly it was clear that he was having a light-bulb moment. The joke was presented to him on a silver platter, he couldn’t pass it up. An opportunity to lighten the mood, how lucky. But she couldn’t have it now so she beat him to the punch. 

“Not that kind of dream,” she said with a sudden stern look in her eyes. She didn’t have the strength to face this joke right now. And once again he was quick to read her because the smirk was gone from his face even before she had finished the sentence.”Silly kitty,” she muttered and couldn’t help smiling at him. 

Of course, he was even more confused now. Her behaviour didn’t make any sense. So she gathered her courage and just came out with it.

“I had a dream. Of you. In which you kissed me.” She fired off all this without giving him a chance to react. And he seemed pretty frozen with shock. “You probably wonder why this would leave me reeling, and no, don’t you dare make any jokes about your kissing technique!”

She could see that he had regained his composure enough to try to slip the joke in but again he refrained from doing so. He must have felt that this was a serious conversation. 

“What’s the problem then?” He asked with pretend calmness. He tried to look like he didn’t care. But she was good at reading him too. 

“You weren’t kissing me as Ladybug. You were kissing the real me.” Marinette said and was forced to look at her feet. She wasn’t ready for what she might see in his eyes at this declaration. But she heard the soft gasp leaving his lips. Don’t think about his lips, she admonished herself. 

“You still haven’t said if it was a good dream or a bad dream, but the way you act makes me think that it must have been a nightmare. I’m sorry about that.” She heard his soft voice and had a hard time making sense of what he was saying. But when she did she was quick to correct his assumption. 

“No! Oh God. It wasn’t a nightmare. You didn’t force yourself on me or something. Sorry. It’s not your fault in any way. It’s just that… Have you ever had a dream in which something completely unexpected happens with someone, someone close to you? And you know it’s a dream. And it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with your real feelings towards that person. But when you wake up you feel ashamed. And terrified that the person you dreamed of would somehow know. And you can’t look them in the eye.”

He nodded. Yes, probably he was all too familiar with such dreams. Maybe featuring her. Oh God. Don’t think about that. 

“Um. What I’m trying to say is that I’m a little ashamed although I know there is nothing I can do to control my dreams. And… maybe a little confused, you know? Because I don’t know how I feel after this dream. And I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. I’m sorry.” She finished lamely. 

His expression was hopeful. Of course. She was such an idiot. She had almost told him she actually wanted to kiss him. She did?

Her Miraculous beeped suddenly and she felt insanely grateful that at least one thing was on her side. She made a move to throw her yo-yo but looked over her shoulder at her perplexed partner. 

“Don’t worry, kitty. I’ll deal with this on my own. In fact, I feel so much better now after I told you. It’s ok. You already made it clear that you’re not interested in the real me in this way so I’ll just forget about this stupid dream. It’s no big deal. See you soon,” she rattled off and flew away, trying in vain to stop her face from flushing. She had totally humiliated herself and made matters worse. So much for dealing with the matter in style. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg is a softy and wants Adrien to finally be happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're slowly getting there, but these two still have some things to talk through. Enjoy!

Chat knew he was basically opening and closing his mouth with no sound coming out like a dying fish as he watched her go. But he couldn’t help it. 

He had no idea what had just taken place. It felt so much like a dream that he barely resisted the urge to pinch himself to prove that it was real. He couldn’t believe that he had just stood there helplessly while Ladybug was telling him about her dream, looking so confused and at the end embarrassed. She shouldn’t have been. She could tell him anything, he really believed this. But things had somehow gotten really awkward at the end. 

He bit back a curse and headed home. There really was nothing else he could do for now. 

As soon as he detransformed, Plagg was off to get some cheese, quietly laughing to himself. 

“It’s not funny, Plagg,” Adrien mumbled as he fell on his bed. 

“Ladybug telling you that she had a dream in which she was kissing you and you just standing there like an idiot is not funny?” Plagg chortled. 

“Gah… Seriously. What was I supposed to do? She was embarrassed, I tried to joke to lighten the mood and it only got worse. And I don’t even know what she wanted to say exactly.” 

“Adrien, honestly, sometimes you make me despair. Do you need it spelled out? She had a dream in which you kissed her. It doesn’t take a science degree to understand that she obviously thinks that this means that she wants this to happen for real. So she’s confused. And embarrassed. But kudos to her for telling you. I really wish I could have seen the look on your face. It must have been priceless.” Plagg chuckled. 

“I don’t know what to think. Is it that horrible for her to think that she might want to kiss me?” Adrien looked desolate saying this. 

“Well, you have to see it from her perspective. She’s spent so long rejecting you and keeping you at an arm’s length. It must be scary to feel something like this now. And also she says she likes someone else. Maybe this makes her feel disloyal to the other guy. I don’t know.”

“Wow, Plagg, that’s very profound. I guess you’re right. I’d sure feel this way if I ever felt something for another girl, not Ladybug,” Adrien mused.

“You might already have if you weren’t so blind,” Plagg muttered. 

“What was that?” 

“Come on. You’re in such denial, you’re impossible. You mean to say that you have never even entertained the idea of being with someone else beside your partner? Wait, forget I asked. This is you we’re talking about. Of course you haven’t.”

“Plagg, I really don’t know what you mean. If you’re talking about Kagami, that was one ill-fated date. I don’t even know why I asked her. And anyway I barely paid any attention to her, I was worried about Marinette and then there was an akuma attack.”

“Mhm. That’s what I mean. Denial.”

Adrien stood up suddenly. 

“Is this what you’re getting at? Is this about Marinette? Plagg, I made myself clear last time. I even told her…”

The words ran dry and he could only stare wide-eyed at his kwami. There was something, a thought, almost clear. What had Ladybug said? That he had made it clear that he was not interested in her real self in this way. How many girls did he go around telling he was not interested in them? Not as many as his fans thought. Some of them believed he left a trail of broken hearts anywhere he went. This was so far from the truth that it was hilarious. For one, he didn’t really believe that there were many girls out there that cared enough about him to feel heartbroken if he rejected them. What’s more, the ones that claimed to love him usually did so only in a superficial way. They didn’t really know him, how could they love him? So he didn’t think he was hurting them much by ignoring their advances or overly dramatic declarations of love. Also, they were all falling over Adrien, but mostly ignored Chat. Such a pity. Apart from this one girl. There had been one girl confessing her love to him recently. To Chat, not Adrien. This meant… 

“Marinette… Oh God.” he groaned. “This can’t be happening.”

“Getting there?” Plagg had been patiently waiting for the poor boy to go through the thought process that would finally lead him to this epiphany, but now couldn’t resist teasing him. 

“I told Marinette I’m in love with Ladybug so I can’t return her feelings. If Marinette is Ladybug… this means I rejected her for herself.” He said incredulously. 

“Pretty funny, don’t you think?” Plagg laughed. 

“And now she believes I’m not interested in her civilian self and doesn’t want anything to do with me. I can’t believe my bad luck. It can’t get any worse than that.”

“You think? Well, I told you you’re oblivious. But apart from that, what does this realisation mean for her confession, hm?”

Adrien looked so shocked all of a sudden it was comical but Plagg also felt some pity for him. This couldn’t be easy for him. 

“She lied to me, Plagg,” he whispered.”She’s not in love with me. Because Ladybug doesn’t love me and she’s Ladybug…” 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would take this so hard. I mean, you rejected her, right?”

“Because I didn’t know she’s Ladybug! And it was the hardest thing I’d ever done, you know that! I never wanted to hurt her… she’s such an amazing person.”

“Who now wants to kiss you. Mhm. Very sad.”

Plagg was getting impatient. Obviously Adrien needed a nudge in the right direction.

“Plagg?”

“Ok, she lied. But you now know why she did it. She thought you’d figured out her secret identity and panicked. Tried to think of a distraction. Not one of her brilliant ideas, I admit. But then she had to deal with the fallout and I’m sure she’s sorry. And now… now, she’s plagued (ha, good one) by dreams in which you’re all sorry, ask for her forgiveness and kiss her. What does that tell you?”

“I have no idea. You can’t possibly imply that I might have a chance, do you?” 

“You won’t know until you try.”

“What do you suggest I do? Go visit her and tell her I’ve figured out she’s Ladybug?”

“Probably start off slowly and build up to it. But, yeah, what do you have to lose?”

Adrien gave this some thought. There really wasn’t anything else to do. And he couldn’t possibly lose what he didn’t have in the first place, right? So nothing would change. 

“Nothing. I have nothing to lose. I guess you’re right. Off to Marinette’s then.”

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now it's Tikki's turn to act as a therapist.

Marinette felt distraught. As she raced home before her transformation wore off, there was only one thought in her mind - she’d messed up. It had been hard enough worrying how she would look him in the eyes when she was the only one who knew of her dream. Now everything was ruined. There was no going back. He knew and probably thought she was crazy. Everything she’d told him made no sense. She had panicked and said everything that came to her mind, which was not a good thing since her mind was a tricky place to navigate even at the best of times. Oh, regret didn’t even come close to describing how much she wanted to take back her words. But it was done. If only she could just avoid Chat for the rest of her life, it would be perfect. She wouldn’t have to worry about him knowing her embarrassing little secret. As luck would have it, her damn luck, she was bound to him because he was her partner. They were a team. She needed him to fight the akumas. So this was not an option. 

“Oh, Tikki,” she moaned as she slipped into her room and detransformed. “I’ve messed up. This is a disaster. If I thought what happened last time was a nightmare, this is ten times worse.”

“Well, Marinette, I think you’re overreacting again. You told him you had a dream about him. No big deal.” Tikki said with all the wisdom of her thousands of years. 

“If this was all he knew I could’ve lived with it somehow. I would’ve been mortified of course but I would’ve survived. But no. I had to go into detail. Tell him about the kiss, why it bothered me, that he’d been kissing the real me. Oh God. I might as well have gone and confessed that I’m in love with him.”

“You are?” Tikki sounded almost shocked. She knew perfectly well how Marinette felt about Chat, that is the guy behind the mask. But to have her admit to having feelings for her partner was not something she had expected to hear anytime soon. 

“No, Tikki! But it would have left me equally ashamed.”

“Actually, you already confessed and it wasn’t so bad,” Tikki chuckled. 

“It was a lie and I wasn’t Ladybug when I did it. It’s perfectly okay for Marinette to do something this stupid but Ladybug has a reputation to maintain. She’s smart, she’s calm, she’s in control. She doesn’t just lose it and start spewing out her deepest secrets to her partner!”

“She’s also human. You are Ladybug and yet you have unrealistically high expectations of yourself. You have feelings and desires like everyone else. And everyone knows feelings are messy. There is no logic or order to them. They are just there and you have to deal with them. And you’re so young! Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“Maybe you’re right. But this doesn’t change the fact that I messed up my relationship with Chat. He’s like the most important person in my life! And now I’ve made everything between us awkward.”

“Marinette, your situation was already complicated, with his feelings for you and everything. Every friendship faces challenges. When he confessed his feelings for you and you rejected him, it was a tricky situation, but you managed to keep your partnership strong. I don’t think this is much different.”

“But he probably thinks that I’ve developed some kind of crush on him or something, all of a sudden!”

“What if you have? Would this be so bad? Is the idea of having feelings for him so unbearable?”

“I… I can’t, Tikki! You know that I love Adrien. I can’t have feelings for Chat.”

This was true. The idea had been there from the very beginning and she’d done her best to resist it. Yes, she’d found his jokes silly and his timing abysmal. But she’d also felt flattered. And over time it had become more and more tempting to succumb to his charm. Her loyalty to Adrien was what was stopping her. Or rather her loyalty to her feelings for him since they weren’t together and she wouldn’t be betraying him if she liked someone else. It just felt wrong. She’d fought so hard to overcome her shyness and become his friend, so she could get to know him and maybe eventually have a chance with him. She couldn’t just forget how she felt about him and run into Chat’s arms (as much as she sometimes wanted to). 

“Marinette, of course you can like two people at the same time. It’s not like you’re engaged to be married and your heart has a no-entry sign. You and Adrien are friends. So if you suddenly find yourself attracted to someone else you can totally act on it. No one will judge you.”

“But I don’t have feelings for Chat! Yes, he’s my partner. My best friend even, since what I share with him is so special. He’s the only one who understands what it means to be a superhero. I trust him implicitly. I can’t imagine my life without him but this is nothing like how I feel about Adrien.”

“Why?”

“You know how I feel about Adrien! He’s so handsome, so kind, so perfect! I want to hug him and kiss him and… you know. I just love him!”

“And there is no way you can feel like that about Chat?”

“Well, he’s cute, even if it pains me to admit it. And he’s kind too. He’s brave and strong. And I admire him for this. I might also want to kiss him. Again. Oh God. I totally have a crush on him, don’t I?”

“If you don’t, you’re slowly getting there. I always knew he was too hard to resist. You shouldn’t beat yourself up over this. And who knows… maybe things will work out in a way you don’t expect them to.” 

“What… ?“ Marinette tried to ask her what she meant, but a tap on her skylight interrupted her. They had company.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When dreams really come true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's happening! The final chapters got me really emotional and I hope you like them!  
> Also, I kind of have a track I used as soundtrack while writing the fic. You can play it while reading this and the next chapter, you won't regret it!  
> It's Arnej - The Beauty That Lies Behind Those Green Eyes.

For a second Marinette panicked and thought Chat had chased her down to demand an explanation for her crazy behaviour, right this second! But then she realised this was not possible. He didn’t know her identity. He couldn’t be here on Ladybug business. Then what was he doing on her balcony?

She took a deep breath and tried to school her face into a friendly expression. She could do this. She was Ladybug. She fought villains on a daily basis, this was nothing in comparison.

She got up on her balcony and turned towards Chat, who was leaning on the railing. The moment her eyes met his she almost crumbled. She so couldn’t do this. God help her, she couldn’t deal with this after the conversation she’s just had with Tikki. 

“No baby August this time?” Marinette found herself blurting out. Okay, not so bad. Start with a joke, pretend everything was normal. 

“Hehe, no, he was having his afternoon nap or I’d surely have taken him with me.” He said with a smile. “Probably I would’ve finally found his pacifier right here after all.” He also added under his breath but Marinette chose this moment to put her selective hearing to good use. 

“Then to what do I owe the pleasure?” Yikes, now she sounded too formal. 

“Oh, it’s a pleasure then?” Chat said and suddenly looked like the cat that got the cream. No. She wouldn’t have it. She may feel something for him but to start thinking in cat puns was too much. 

“Cut it out, Chat. You know you’re always welcome here.” Marinette said with some semblance to her normal demeanour. 

“I wasn’t so sure about that after last time.” He seemed almost bashful as he said that. 

“You thought I wouldn’t want you here? Silly cat. We can still be friends even if you have no romantic feelings for me.” So maybe he just needed reassurance. She could deal with this. “If you need me I’m here for you.”

It happened so fast that she wouldn’t have seen the shift in the brilliant green eyes if she wasn’t watching him closely. He had been looking at her so softly. Suddenly there was that fire in his eyes again. He was also perfectly aware of it and didn’t do a thing to try and tone it down. He looked like he was on a mission. He straightened and took a step towards her. 

“Marinette,” he whispered. Oh no. Now she was having deja-vu. This looked eerily like her dream. 

“I might have been wrong about that after all,” he said but she had a hard time understanding him because he was now too close for comfort. Or not close enough. Grr. Her mind was betraying her. 

“Wh-what?” she stuttered. Great. Now she was acting like a love-struck teenager. Clearing her throat, Marinette tried again. “What do you mean?” 

She managed to say this but found that she couldn’t look him in the eye. Instead her eyes were drawn to the bell on his suit. She wondered if she could get away with looking at it for the rest of the conversation. He wasn’t having any of it, it seemed, because he used a finger to gently lift her chin up and make her look at him. 

“I said I may have feelings for you after all.” He said softly and Marinette felt her eyes go wide. 

“But how? You’re in love with Ladybug.” She managed to say. The way he was looking at her was something else. She thought the desire in it made it hard to take, but now there was adoration as well and she felt like melting into a puddle at his feet. It was too much so she found herself closing her eyes. 

“I am,” she heard him say. And then she felt the air shift and when he spoke next his breath was hot on her face and she could practically feel his lips move as he said, “But you’re Ladybug.”

She had no time to react to that because then his lips were on hers. The kiss was light and soft and before she knew it he was pulling back. But she wasn’t done. She didn’t know where her boldness came from but her hands found their way into his hair and brought his mouth back to hers. She was kissing him now, some instinct guiding her as she pressed herself to him. His response matched the fervour of her moves. He was as sweet as she remembered from her dream. But this time it was real.

Marinette wasn’t sure how much time passed. She only felt the heat in his lips and his arms around her, drawing her closer to him. It was all new and yet so familiar. All the sensations coursing through her threatened to overwhelm her but at the same time she couldn’t get enough of him. They only pulled apart when they had to come up for air and remained as close as they could, with their foreheads touching as they tried to catch their breath. 

Their eyes opened at the same time once their breathing calmed. She could see a smile lifting the corner of his lips and instantly knew what he was going to say. 

“I’m waiting for a verdict, you know,” he whispered and she tried not to groan. “Was this better than your dream or I have to try harder?” By now he was grinning. 

“I wish I had a witty comeback to wipe that grin off your face but you win this round,” she said in an attempt to appear unaffected but she knew there was no point. He had felt everything he needed to know in that kiss. Her mind was probably still fogged by the kiss because she heard herself adding, “You’re really sweet.”

“This is not the reaction I expected,” he said, an amused but wary expression in his eyes. He was probably confused so she tried to explain.

“In my dream I was amazed by how sweet you tasted. It was even better in reality.” Her voice faded away as she spoke and the last word was barely audible. There was no trace of her bravado. Saying this to his face was too much and she had to look away. But there was nowhere to go since he was still holding her close and her arms were around his neck. 

“Marinette,” he said, his tone gentle but firm, and she had to look at him again. His eyes were brimming with love as he continued, “You can tell me this, this and so much more, no shame and no regret, okay? What’s happening right now is good, you don’t need to run or hide from it. Don’t be afraid and let it all out.” 

She sighed and hugged him tight, her cheek resting on his shoulder. “You make it sound so easy,” she mumbled but was sure he heard her. And he was right. Being here, so close to him felt so good. So right. His warmth and tenderness were lulling her into feeling relaxed and her guard was almost all the way down when she allowed herself to think for the first time about what he had said before kissing her. The shock brought her out of her blissful state. He knew she was Ladybug.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, your soundtrack for this chapter - Arnej - The Beauty That Lies Behind Those Green Eyes.  
> I hope it's as emotional for you to read as it was for me to write!

Adrien felt Marinette stiffen in his arms and realised he had some explaining to do. He hadn’t planned it like that. He was going to tell her he had figured it out, apologise and then see what happened. What he hadn’t counted on was how hard it would be to resist her when he knew she wanted this to happen. He couldn’t have stopped himself from kissing her even if he had tried to. But still he had almost pulled back in an attempt to explain first and then hopefully kiss her again later. Her reaction had caught even him off guard. 

Not that he regretted it. It had been the most amazing thing in his life. To finally have her in his arms, to feel her lose herself in the moment too. Who would have thought that she’d pull all the stops and kiss him until he ran out of breath? He certainly hadn’t expected to be the one to ignite such a strong desire in her. 

Now that they’re calmed down and returned to their senses, however, he needed to tell her so many things.

“Marinette,” he whispered to get her attention and make her look at him. Having her so close was the best feeling in the world, but hopefully there would be time for this later. Apparently, she found it hard to let go too, since she took her time before she finally pulled back a little and looked up at him. Her eyes were wide, her lips a little red and slightly swollen. He hoped he hadn’t been too rough with her. She was so beautiful and he loved her so much. Focus, he chided himself. 

“How did I give myself away?” She said quietly. 

“Well, just before you ran off after you told me about the dream you said I’d made myself clear that I wasn’t interested in your civilian self in this way. I don’t know what you think of me, but I don’t make a habit of breaking girls’ hearts, especially as Chat.” He said and tried out a smile. 

“Oh, I didn’t even realise… I must have been too agitated to notice that what I was saying would be such a dead giveaway. But you’re right, I guess I made it quite obvious. And no, I don’t think you’re a womaniser, don’t worry.” She smiled softly saying this and he found himself chuckling. 

“Well, it wasn’t hard connecting the dots once I thought hard enough. You do realise you confessed to me as Chat and this is not something that happens often. Actually never, apart from that one time. Speaking of confessing, I now know you lied,” he teased her.

“Oh God, I’m sorry” she groaned and tried to turn away from him. 

“Shh, it’s alright. You’re not going anywhere now that I finally have you in my arms. And it’s ok. I know you did it to protect your identity. I realise it must have looked like I’d figured it out. Well, I wish you hadn’t chosen this specific method of distraction but I get it.”

Her cheeks flushed and she looked so uncomfortable that his heart twisted. She obviously had something to say so he let her. 

“You were so sweet about it all though. What I did was horrible. It wasn’t ok to play with your feelings like that. I guess I didn’t expect you’d be so concerned about hurting me. After all, who am I to you? I mean, you didn’t know I was Ladybug back then. I still don’t know why you acted like that, you barely know me as Marinette, right?” The confusion was clear in her eyes as she said this.. 

Adrien had to clear his throat and take a steadying breath. This was it. He had to do this now and he had to do it right. And hope for the best. 

“Actually, this is where you’re wrong,” he started and saw her eyes widen even further in shock. “Let me explain, please,” he quickly added and saw her bite back her response. 

“I really meant it when I said I didn’t want to hurt you because you’re an amazing person. I think… I was in denial about my feelings for you, you know. I was too blinded by my adoration for Ladybug to think about you in this way. But this doesn’t mean that you weren’t special to me! In fact, you were the most precious person in my life apart from my partner. Finding you’re one and the same was… such an amazing gift. Now I’m free to love all of you So, it’s only fair for you to know who I am. But before I show you, let me tell you some things I know about you, ok?”

She nodded and looked at him expectantly. If she was afraid of how things might turn out, she was hiding it well for now. He dropped his arms from around her waist and took a step back. Before she could react, he took her hands in his and said:

“Let’s see how that goes. It wasn’t rehearsed, so be patient, please. So, for starters, you make amazing macarons.” This was vague enough, anyone could know that, but it was still true. “You rock at video games, you are a champion, after all.” Still not enough to narrow it down. “You have a talent to create amazing things, appreciated by real celebrities.” She smiled at this but it was still common knowledge. Time to give her a hint. “You are clumsy sometimes, often tripping on thin air, but still you showed amazing grace when you were dancing with me, not missing a single step.” She gasped but if there was still any doubt, he decided to clear it with the next one. “You’re always willing to help others and so they never hesitate to help you in a moment of need. I even called you our everyday Ladybug, not knowing you’re the real deal, can you believe it?” He tried to laugh, but ended up almost choking in his nervousness. 

Her eyes were now glistening with tears, but he didn’t know if they were happy tears or sad ones. She opened her mouth to say something, but he shushed her again. 

“I’m not finished. I knew both of you, Ladybug and Marinette, when I came here to see you. You didn’t know my identity, so kissing you wasn’t fair on you, I’m sorry. You kissed me as Chat. And whatever happens, I’ll be forever grateful that I could have this moment with you. It gave me a glimpse into you feelings for one side of me. But I will understand if this is all you want to happen between us now that you know who I am. It’s your choice and I’ll respect it.” 

By now, tears were rolling down her cheeks and he had to blink hard to stop his own from spilling. 

He looked at her through the tears as she took a deep breath and said in a surprisingly clear voice:

“Chat, detransform.”

~~~

Adrien nodded as he said “Claws in” and he stood before her, taking Chat’s place. Marinette needed a second to steady herself. She had to stay strong for him but it was still a bit too much. So she watched Plagg fly away to disappear into her room, but not before saying teasingly “See you later, Marinette!” and winking at her. She shook her head and returned her gaze to Adrien. 

“You know each other?” He asked softly. His eyes betrayed his inner turmoil and she could feel his hands trembling in hers. He was obviously trying hard to hold it together as he waited for her answer. 

“We’ve met before,” she said with a sigh. 

There were so many things to think about after this revelation but they would have to wait. She had to act on the spot, which was not perfect but also didn’t leave her much time to panic. His situation, however, was worse, since he had no idea how she would take all this. She felt grateful that this was something she’d skipped because by the time she’d realised he knew her real identity she had already seen that his feelings were the same, she had felt his acceptance. 

But he didn’t know. And her fearless and strong Chat Noir was trembling. She’d reduced him to a nervous wreck. So she had to be strong for him. She needed to do this now. She owed it to him after the courage he’d shown in guiding her to his real identity. She also wanted to do it. It was about time she did. So her voice rang strong as she said:

“There is still one thing you haven’t asked me yet.” Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she explained. “Are you no longer worried about the other guy I told you I like?”

She saw his face go pale at her words. He obviously had completely forgotten to take this into consideration and wanted to say something, probably that he was ashamed of his hasty assumption that he didn’t have any competition. She took pity on him and said:

“You should probably ask him what he thinks of all this. How convenient that he’s standing right in front of me, right?” She smiled as shock and joy battled on his face. 

Marinette dropped his hands and took the same step closer to him that he’d given her back as he waited for her reaction. She gently cradled his cheeks with her hands and mirroring his earlier move said with her lips almost touching his, “I love you, Adrien.”

Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips to his. Too quickly, she pulled back, but this was only to seal what she’d said. More later. She opened her eyes and smiled warmly at him. 

“I know this might come as a shock, but it was always you. I wasn’t any good at showing you how I felt and I’m sorry it took me this long to confess. For some reason, I couldn’t act as myself around you. I think I got better at handling this when we talked as friends, but I still got tongue-tied whenever I tried to tell you how much you mean to me. All this probably left you feeling confused about whether I liked you or totally hated you, “ she said with a shaky laugh. He still looked a bit shocked but his eyes were full of understanding. Marinette went on before she lost what little grip she had of herself. 

“I’m calling on every bit of Ladybug courage I have to tell you this. Because you should know that you being my partner as well as my long-time crush is truly a blessing for me. I’ve always admired your kind and calm nature as Adrien, while also loving your courage and selflessness as Chat. It’s a relief to no longer have to fight my feelings for Chat because of Adrien. To think I rejected you because I was in love with you! But I can now have both of you and that’s what I want.”

As she said that, she felt the tears blurring her vision and threatening to spill once again. Speaking from her heart was taking its toll on her. She didn’t think she could say anything else. So when she felt his lips on hers once again she was grateful. This she could do. 

The kisses and gentle touches took over from that moment on and told their own story as their hearts were finally beating in sync. They’d finally found each other and were going to deal with everything to come together. But for now this was enough. Sweet kisses, sweeter than any dream. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I did it! Until very recently, I never would have guessed that I would be writing fanfic. But these two are absolutely adorable and after the idea had been pestering me for some time I simply needed to write it down. It's been amazing to share something that's been inside my head for so long with other fans. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read through my creation and I really hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
